The Bay Area has plenty of it, from salty St. Louis to tangy Texas to vinegary Carolina and just about everything in between and beyond. And it's all over the place: in Napa, Emeryville, Los Altos and, of course, San Francisco itself.

We've rounded up some of the best of the rib joints, and put together a regional tour. At some places, it's the sauce that makes the meat; at others, the meat is good enough to stand alone. And some spots have memorable side dishes -- far beyond those classic slices of damp Wonder bread -- so we've included them, too.

The majority of these places are takeout only, but several restaurants merit a full sit-down meal.

So get out your napkins and moist towelettes, and head for a barbecue joint near you. Of course, opinions on ribs and barbecue in general run high, and it's possible that we've missed your favorite. (For those countless rib fans who swear by Berkeley's legendary Flint's -- no, we didn't overlook it. Both its stores are in their periodic closure mode, so right now its ribs are, truly, the stuff of legend.)

SAN FRANCISCO

-- Big Nate's Barbecue. NBA Hall of Famer
Nate Thurmond
opened this place when he left basketball over 20 years ago. It offers the standard linoleum and Formica decor and one big smoker that's really put to work.

Ribs here are wonderfully tender and not too fatty. Chicken is even better -- moist and smoky. The sauce comes mild, medium and hot. Be warned: the hot version is so spicy it'll clear up a stuffed nose in a New York minute. All three variations of the sauce have sweet undertones without being too sugary.

For sides, don't miss the "mean greens" doused with vinegar and a little zippy heat of their own.

-- Bobby Rubino's Place for Ribs. Barbecue at Fisherman's Wharf? Yep. It's the only place where you can dine on ribs and have a view.

This isn't the best barbecue in the city; none of it has the smokiness we love. But the ribs are lean, the chicken is juicy and the sauce, while sweeter than most, isn't bad. We don't recommend the skewered barbecued shrimp, however; the sauce overpowers the shellfish.

And if you're already casting health to the wind on ribs, try the Milky Way pie for dessert: It's a layer of scrumptious chocolate mousse and caramel in a chocolate graham cracker crust.

-- Brother-in-Law's Barbecue. Ominous bars on the windows of this little place may scare you away, but the smell of smoke will bring you back.

The ribs on their own tend to be dry, but tender with tons of smoke flavor (except for the brisket, which is strangely bland). Slather the ribs in sauce (mild or caliente, both of which are pretty mild) and you'll have a decent meal. And it's definitely the meat you want here; skip the sides and the neon-orange sweet potato pie.

-- Bull's Texas Cafe. Barbecue sauce here leans toward the sweeter, tomatoey side of sauces. Beef and pork ribs are dark and tender, without much smokiness, but they work well with the sweet brown sauce. Barbecued chicken is good here, too. Entrees come with a fluffy biscuit, corn on the cob and zesty ranch beans.

Bull's has a dining room with all- wood saloon-style decor, so be sure to wear your cowboy boots so you can make a big ole racket when you walk in.

-- Cliff's Bar-B-Q & Seafood. You can get ribs six ways at this spotless little place on Bayshore Boulevard, and portions come in three sizes, depending on how hungry the crowd you're feeding is.

Alabama smoked ribs, with big chunks of smoky pork, were our favorites, with spicy Cajun-style ribs a close second. Beef ribs are big and meaty; small riblets have a lot of meat on them, too. Even the standard baby backs and spareribs have great flavor. The sweet, dark barbecue sauce complements all the ribs.

Brisket here is good, too, especially slathered in sauce. Cole slaw is the traditional variety made with mayonnaise, and the cabbage is fresh and crisp.

-- Memphis Minnie's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. We found good barbecue in the strangest places. Having lost its lease at the York Street address, Memphis Minnie's set up shop in November in the kitchen of Johnny Love's on Broadway at Polk Street (it has no relationship to the bar and former restaurant other than renting space from it).

Picnic tables covered with green and white vinyl make it possible to eat in, but most customers order out.

This stuff ranked as among our favorites: Big, meaty beef ribs, lean and tender pork ribs, juicy roasted pork and oh-so-smoky beef brisket (the restaurant claims to smoke it for 18 hours). Two sauces come with the meat: a red Texas-style heavy on cumin and a sweeter golden Carolina mustard with a touch of heat.

This place has sides that are so good, you really could take a vegetarian along, and they could dine happily on excellent roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cole slaw spiked with dill, and long-cooked potlikker greens.

-- Tony Roma's. Most of the ribs here are like the Budweiser of barbecue: Not much to hate, but not that much to recommend, either. The beef ribs are the exception. Big, salty and tender, they're best on their own, but not bad with the sweet sauce, either. The red hots, too, sizzle with personality and a blazingly hot sauce that makes up for the lack of smoke on the meat.

Unlike most rib joints, Tony Roma's does have an actual dining room with lots of dark wood and neon beer signs.

EAST BAY

-- Back Forty Texas BBQ. Lots of menacing-looking tools hang from stone walls, giving an almost medieval feel to Back Forty Texas BBQ -- but you'll probably feel a bit barbaric gnawing on those beef back ribs, anyway. Some of the pork ribs on the end of the slab were fatty, but moving to the middle they became quite lean and tender. On the flip side, the beef ribs were a little too lean, making some of the ribs slightly stringy and tough. But pour enough of that sauce all over them, and it all tastes good. It's not as spicy as one would've hoped, but the balance and depth outranked many of the sauces we tried. The chicken was juicy and delicious.

As for sides: We liked the beans, but the potato salad was gummy with too much mayonnaise and the cole slaw was run-of-the-mill.

And Doug's homemade sweet potato pies will knock your socks off. Skip the bite-size version of this fresh, clove-scented treat and buy a couple of the larger ones; you'll definitely want more than a taste.

-- Everett and Jones. Old bumper stickers on the wall over the counter are fun to read while you wait to place your order at this tiny place. E & J's, as the locals call it, packs them in for ribs right out of the smoker late into the night (the restaurant is open until midnight).

The ribs were fatty and a little chewy, but the beef brisket was wonderfully tender. The sauce, even the spicier versions, is on the sweeter side, but it goes with the smoky quality of the meat.

And if you like your sweet potato pie really sweet, the one they serve here is right up your alley.

Everett & Jones, 1955 San Pablo Ave. (near University Avenue), Berkeley; (510) 548-8261. Open 11 a.m.-midnight daily. $7.36 for ribs. Three other locations in Oakland and one in Hayward.

-- K.C. Barbecue. Coming up on its 30th anniversary, this dispensary of Kansas City-style ribs, links, beef and chicken wins hands-down for funk. Mismatched overstuffed chairs, '30s radios, a hand-cranked laundry wringer, vintage photos and more are jumbled together in two rooms that a recent first-time visitor dubbed, "straight out of 'Fried Green Tomatoes.' " They don't serve fried green tomatoes, but lightly smoky, juicy meats and mildly spicy links. The first impression on the palate is sweet -- even the sole accompaniment, potato salad, tastes like sweet- sour mashed potatoes -- but the meats leave a nice little after-burn in the back of your mouth. It might not satisfy barbecue fans who want their meats to light a fire in their throat, but it's fine for those of gentler preferences -- and the price is right. K.C. Barbecue, 2613 San Pablo Ave. (near Parker Street), Berkeley, (510) 548-1140. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, until midnight Friday-Saturday. Dinners, $5 to $7.25.

-- L.A.'s Famous West Coast Barbecue. The portions here are of rib- sticking size, which may explain why the place is popular with truckers. Eat-in or takeout dinners come with a good choice of sides -- candied yams, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and better- than-average potato salad. Customers can choose mild or hot sauce -- and when they say hot, these folks mean hot (however, the heat provides a better balance to the spices in the sauce).

-- People's Choice Barbeque. A little red-and-white house on busy Cutting Boulevard announces 15- year-old People's Choice -- unless the smoky scent catches you first. With the security grillwork out front echoed by the wrought-iron railings inside, it's a bit like ordering 'cue at an old-fashioned post office. And when owner Clement Briellard asks "You want the fat still on your brisket?" you know you're in good hands. Meats are smoky and often dry, but pair them with the thin, incendiary sauce (medium is fine for most palates, but Briellard will let you taste beforehand) and you've got a memorable meal with a great melding of flavors.

The sides run the usual gamut, from potato salad creamy enough to remind you of mashed potatoes to sweetly smoky baked beans. And no nonsense about dessert here: People's Choice sweet potato pie, dark and spicy, is unbeatable, is worth a trip all by itself. Well, after some of those meaty ribs, of course. People's Choice Barbeque, 3419 Cutting Blvd. (near 35th Street), Richmond; (510) 233-4083. Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, until 9 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday. Takeout only. $7 to $15.62 for slab of ribs.

-- L's BBQ. A newcomer since Halloween, L's BBQ gets its undeniable pedigree from Lamont McNeal, who's been doing barbecue around the Bay Area and the wine country for nearly 20 years. Frilly curtains soften the bright, spare space, and free samples ("Come on, taste the peach cobbler, it's just done") add to the friendliness. Ribs are lean and smoky, the beef a bit tough and untamed by a one-dimensional sauce. But the hot links are among the best we've found, as well they might be: homemade, from a 40-year-old recipe that McNeal got from his grandmother.

Standout side dish: some of the best beans this side of the Bay, with big chunks of green pepper and celery, and a haunting note of spicy smoke. And, oh, great goo: L's banana pudding. L's BBQ, 2900 Cutting Blvd. (at 29th Street), Richmond; (510) 236-7000. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. $6.45 to $16 for slab of ribs.

CONTRA COSTA

-- The Original Hick'ry Pit. We preferred the regular ribs to the St. Louis-style, which were a little drier. Original sauce is nicely balanced between sweet, tangy and spicy. We also liked the chicken, which still managed to be juicy after a next day nuking in the microwave. As for sides, stick with either the cole slaw (the creamy horseradish dressing comes on the side so the cabbage can stay crunchy even if you don't eat it for a day) or the baked beans that have a pleasant smokiness.

-- Barley & Hopps. This upscale microbrewery restaurant-cum-"gaming parlor," blues club and to-code cigar lounge -- a fun place to eat, and with an extensive takeout menu -- serves terrific baby rack ribs, smoked and glazed in a kicky sauce with a good balance of vinegar and molasses. The accompanying rattlesnake heirloom beans are cooked with applewood-smoked ham hocks -- a wonderful smoky counterpoint.

-- The House of Catfish & Ribs. This Daly City location is nothing to look at -- just a counter and a few tables -- but the food makes up for that. Heavily smoked ribs, chicken and brisket with your choice of mild, medium or hot sauce. We recommend you ask for the sauce on the side here, especially if you order the five-alarm super hot-hot version. Crispy fresh cole slaw is pretty straightforward, but a good way to cool your mouth after this particularly spicy barbecue.

-- MacArthur Park. Oakwood- smoked barbecue has been the signature of this popular restaurant ever since it opened in the California Historical Landmark building hard by the Stanford campus. The baby back ribs are top-quality tender but somewhat lacking in flavor -- the smoky, vinegary sauce adds some. However, there's plenty of taste in the moist barbecued chicken. The ambience invites dining in, but the restaurant is set up for takeout, too, sometimes offering quick pickup at a separate entrance. MacArthur Park, 27 University Ave. (near El Camino Real), Palo Alto; (650) 321-9990. Open for lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Sunday brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. Baby back rib dinners are $12.95, $18.95. Also a San Francisco location at 607 Front St. (at Jackson Street); (415) 398-5700.

-- Redneck Earl's Cowboy Takeout. Two young men from Texas on the lam from the corporate restaurant world opened this spiffy, mostly takeout place last year. Lone Star- iana decorates the snug space, along with racks of hot sauces to add at will. Baby back ribs and chicken are some of the smokiest we've tasted. The ribs are so lean as to be on the dry side, but they make mighty fine chewing. The chicken is outstanding, and a true Texas beef chili (bean-free and thickened with masa) is good, too, as is a crisp, tangy, red cabbage slaw.

-- Rib Shack. You can get meaty ribs of pork and beef at this no-nonsense spot near the airport, a few blocks south of Highway 380. Pork ribs are big and tender, slow-cooked over fruit woods and slathered in a vinegary sauce. Sides are standard, but the pineapple-corn muffins are outstanding.

-- S & B Soul Food. Skip and Betty Page cook down-home Southern Mississippi food at their storefront restaurant down the street from Barley & Hopps. You can eat in or take out some easy-to-eat meaty ribs coated in a tangy, slightly smoky sauce. The list of side dishes is extensive -- from macaroni and cheese to greens to black-eyed peas to fries. Cole slaw and potato salad, too. Don't miss the homemade cornbread muffins.

-- Windy City Chicago-Style Pizza. This may technically be a pizza parlor/sports bar, but much of the clientele is wolfing down the excellent pork ribs and other barbecue. It's all been been spice-rubbed and slow- smoked over hardwood.

Ribs are moist and meaty but not fatty, and the sauce is nicely balanced although on the mild side. If you eat in, you can spike it up with any -- or all -- of the dozens of hot sauces arranged on a side table.

NORTH BAY

-- Emil Villa's Hickory Pit. Don't let the fact that Emil's is a chain scare you away. The restaurant, which originated in the East Bay, turns out some darn good barbecue.

Super-tender baby backs were among the best we tried. The St. Louis-style, with a salty spice rub, were less popular, but still quite good. The thick sauce with just a hint of sweetness went well with both. We also liked the traditional cole slaw and the smokey beans that tasted like they had a touch of molasses.

-- Foothill Cafe. This little spot is a darling for dining among the locals in Napa, and they actually make some of the best food in the Wine Country. One of their specialties just happens to be barbecue.

The smoke permeates through the skin right to the meat on the chicken, adding terrific flavor. Baby back ribs, too, have a ton of smoky flavor and are tender to boot. The thick red barbecue sauce is a great balance of sweet to tangy to spicy.

-- Rob's Rib Shack. A relative newcomer to the barbecue scene, Rob's Rib Shack opened last June adjacent to the Sonoma golf driving range -- not that anyone's hitting golf balls during the wet winter months.

Rob Larman, a veteran of such San Francisco restaurants as Scott's Seafood and Kuleto's, has turned his talent to simpler down-home fare.

His ribs are pleasantly smoky with a decent sauce, though most of us wanted a tad more heat. And for a change of pace from the traditional cole slaw, try the killer fries.